Punatics: The recent posting of 150 Donald Trump campaign signs on Big Island utility poles prompted Hawaiian Electric Co. last week to remind the public that it’s not only illegal but also poses a safety hazard to utility workers because of the staples and nails used to attach the signs.

And it’s not just campaign signs. You also can’t post announcements about fundraisers, garage sales, business or campaign advertising, community events and even missing persons or pets.

In addition to posting Trump signs on utility poles, people have been seen taking down the Trump signs, including an apparent Puna resident captured in a video posted to Hawaii News Report’s Instagram account.

“If he was a Trump supporter he wouldn’t have time to do this, as he would have a job and wouldn’t be living off all the government/taxpayers money like so many that keep voting democrat,” lila108 griped in a post.

“I mean let’s be fr. He not winning hawaii anyway lol,” said jemopticz in another post.

Big Island bucks: Perhaps the most significant election locally on Nov. 5 is the one for Hawaii County mayor between incumbent Mitch Roth and challenger Kimo Alameda. They were forced into a runoff in the Aug. 10 primary when neither candidate mustered a majority of the votes in a crowded field.

Roth is the frontrunner when it comes to raising and spending campaign money. His filing with the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission this week shows he received $278,000 in contributions and spent most of it, about $233,000.

The latest filing, which covers the period from the day after the primary through Sept. 26, shows that the mayor’s generous donors include Craig Anderson, an executive with Mauna Kea Resorts, Jaidev Watumull, an executive with Watumull Brothers, and the lobbying group Hawaii Hotel Alliance.

But Alameda, a psychologist, is holding his own in his first run for mayor. He raised $246,000 and spent $192,000, including $10,000 to Spectrum for television ads featuring double shakas.

Donors of note to Alameda include the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, Hilo attorney Lincoln Ashida, Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters, Patrick Kobayashi, a real estate developer with Kobayashi Group, and Micah Kane, president and CEO of the Hawaii Community Foundation.

Interestingly, both campaigns spent a lot of money on mainland consultants. Alameda paid more than $8,000 to Red Dirt Campaigns of Alaska and about $7,000 to L2 Political.com of New Jersey, while Roth paid $10,000 to Hamburger Group Creative of Washington, D.C.

Watch Civil Beat’s election forum with Roth and Alameda in Kailua-Kona last month.

Survey says: Speaking of the Campaign Spending Commission, they want to know what you think of them — specifically, how well they communicate and how they can do a better job.

The online survey takes only a few minutes to complete and it’s anonymous, although the findings are made public. Last year’s survey, for example, revealed that not a lot of people follow the commission on social media.

The survey also showed that looking up the names of contributors is very popular, as The Blog can personally attest. (See item above.)

A Special Commentary Project

Civil Beat opinion writers are closely following efforts to bring more transparency and accountability to state and local government — at the Legislature, the county level and in the media. Help us by sending ideas and anecdotes to sunshine@civilbeat.org.

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Ballot initiative: Hawaii voters can expect their general election ballots to arrive in the mail beginning Oct. 18, and the Office of Elections is now reminding voters that they can track their ballot.

Voters have the option to receive alerts by text, email or phone and will be notified when their ballot has been mailed and received. Reminders will also be sent regarding deadlines or if there is an issue with a return envelope.  Click here to learn more.

And if you don’t want want to get notifications but still want to know the status of your ballot, click here to reach the state’s website or contact your county elections division.

No vote, no grumble, brah.

Dan Inouye, Nazi killer: A new film series set to debut Tuesday on PBS tells the story of “under-recognized disabled figures” in U.S. history. They include none other than the late Daniel K. Inouye, Hawaii’s legendary U.S. senator.

Here’s an excerpt from a review in Mother Jones: “War changes most soldiers’ lives, but Inouye, fighting in an all–Japanese American combat unit, also had to get his right arm amputated: A Nazi soldier struck him with a grenade launcher, partly destroying the arm and forcing him to pry the undetonated grenade out with his left hand. He threw it back at the Nazi — this time, it detonated.”

Inouye later served as pro tempore of the Senate, making him the “highest-ranking person of color with a disability in the presidential line of succession, ever.”